Accommodation for Staff

London evolved from the joining together of many small villages. Now the city is made up of 33 boroughs, all of which hold their own centre and character.

Goldsmiths’ campus is situated in lively New Cross in South East London, and is only 10 minutes from central London by train. Travelling across London is made easy with a public transport system of trains, tubes and buses.

Deciding where to live

Goldsmiths local guides have lots of information on the various neighbourhoods across South and East London. You can also visit the Findahood website for more detailed information on particular areas across the city.

This Rightmove tool suggests places based on your budget and property criteria. Similarly, Commute From lets you search for an area based on the length of the commute and then provides you with average house prices, details of local schools, crime rates and links to local estate agents.

Where to look

Rightmove and Zoopla are the main online search engines to use when finding a place to rent or buy. Using these websites you can filter through properties by the number of bedrooms, area, price and more. Each property will be linked to an estate agent who you can contact for more details and to arrange a viewing.

Gumtree or Spare Room are useful if you are looking to rent a single room within a house.

Renting

The London housing market provides a wide range of properties available to rent, with the minimum rental period between six and twelve months. Renters will normally be required to pay a holding fee to secure a property, along with a deposit of one or two months’ rent.

You can rent a property in an unfurnished, part furnished or fully furnished state. If the property is furnished it is important to check the inventory list carefully before signing, and you should always ask for a copy for your records.

You may wish to ask your previous landlord for a reference to pass on to your potential landlord or letting agency. HR can provide you with confirmation of your salary.

Once you have found a property you will be asked to sign a contract, also known as a tenancy agreement. This document will contain all the information about your rental agreement including how much rent should be paid, the length of your tenancy and both you and your landlord's rights.

If you do not understand something contained within the agreement, hold off signing the contract and ask for clarification. Once you have signed the contract, make sure you keep a copy for your records. For help and advice on housing, contact the Citizens Advise Bureau.

GOV.UK provides information on housing and local services. This includes further details on the different types of tenancy agreements, as well as advice on what you can do if you have a dispute with your landlord.

Buying

If you intend to be in the UK for a longer time period you may wish to consider buying a property. GOV.UK provides an overview of the process and the costs that are involved.

Relocation expenses

The reimbursement of reasonable relocation expenses may be made to eligible new members of staff. Please contact HR for more information.